It is conventional in the art to effect denitrification and desulfurization of hydrocarbon stocks by subjecting them to treatment with hydrogen at elevated temperatures and pressures while in contact with a catalyst containing hydrogenating components, either supported or unsupported. Typical of the catalysts suggested by the prior art are those containing Group VI-B and Group VIII metals, or their oxides or sulfides, as the hydrogenating components, with such hydrogenating components being supported on a variety of well-known carriers, such as, for example, alumina, kieselguhr, zeolitic molecular sieves and other materials having high surface areas.
When such conventional catalysts are employed in the desulfurization of residual-containing hydrocarbon feed stocks, for example, it has been observed that the aging rate of the catalyst is high and as a result the catalyst mustbe replaced frequently. Therefore, it is desired that improved hydrogenation catalysts be obtained which when employed in denitrification and desulfurization processes will have excellent activity and wherein the aging rate of the catalysts are substantially reduced.